An Albuquerque woman thought she was just an audience member, but she ended up walking away with the surprises of her life.

Twenty-one-year-old Jackie Lovato says she still can't believe what happened to her last week. The single mother is now $15,000 richer and has a new car.

Advertisement

"There is somebody in the audience I want to meet right now. Jackie Lovato come on down!" said Ellen as she introduced her on the show that was broadcast Monday afternoon.

"She just said my name and I was like oh my gosh she just said my name," says Lavato.

Lovato wrote into the daytime program "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" more than a month ago after going through a tough time.

"I just pretty much told her everything that was going on in life. That my mother has passed away when I was younger. Dad was never in the picture," says Lovato of the letter.

When producers called her to come to a taping of Ellen, Lovato thought she was just going to be an audience member.

"Hi Jackie how are you doing? Surprise! You didn't think you'd be sitting right here did you?" said Ellen as Lovato came up on the stage.

"I had no idea about anything that was going to happen." said Lovato.

Lovato is a single mother of a 2-year-old. She told Ellen about her situation.

"When I was sick I was laying in bed, I got up to get a glass of water and he was a with another woman." Lovato told Ellen.

"He was in bed with another woman in your house? Knowing you were there at home? " was Ellen's reply.

And then came the big moment, at first Ellen gave her $10,000 cash. But after the break, Ellen gave Lovato received a new car and another $5,000. It is a story Lovato says it is an experience she will never forget.

"It's just one of those things you're just really grateful! I love Ellen," said Lovato.

Lovato says she's going to use the money to pay off her school loans, her debt, buy groceries and pay for more schooling. She hopes to become a dentist some day.